Moving Again?
by deactivated lmao
Summary: At day, cats are lazy. At night, they travel. But they will always return to their roots.
1. Chapter 1 - The Ride

_I am lonely, pathetic, and I hold on to things for too long._

The idyllic landscape rolled past as the train jolted and groaned on it's tracks. Clear specks of white splattered against the dark blue sky, a beautiful landscape unfurling before me. But I paid it no notice. Instead, I pinched the leafy-coloured fabric idly, the bumps and minute openings suddenly of interest to me. The baggage supported by a metal pipe shelf threatened to fall and land dangerously close to me, every bump jerking me to awareness. I craned my neck back and watched the heavy suitcases and designer bags haphazardly tilt towards the edge of the iron rack. Although I knew the luggage would never drop due to the curve of the shelving, I still had a certain degree of anxiety. I tugged on my hazel pigtails and smoothed out my overalls, hoping that would take my mind off the boulders above.

A familiar sing-song tune played over the intercom as the train slowed to a halt. A monkey foolishly grinned at the ticket station. "WELCOME TO THE CITY," The ivory loudspeaker blared. "PLEASE DON'T FORGET YOUR BAGGAGE! HAVE A GOOD DAY." A few animals and humans left, and a few animals and humans came on. Blue cat. Red cat. Red rabbit. Straw hat-wearing human. Another red rabbit. Another cat. But not the cat I was looking for. I switched my focus to my small woven rucksack, which contained my hobbies and other necessities. On the front of the knapsack was a felt cutout of a greyish cat with two darker stripes slashing the sides of her head. That was a friend that I no longer had.

"NEXT STOP: LOPWOOD." The loudspeaker mounted on the wall blared once again, and the tune played again. It would soon be the tenth and last time I would have to hear it. The metal train doors began to slide shut, the sign above flashing red to signal warning to anyone who would be stupid enough to stand near it.

"WAIT!" A medium-sized figure jammed his foot in the gap of the door, causing it to reopen. Another blue cat. Another cat I knew. Another wrong cat. Rover.

He grinned sheepishly as he waddled aboard the train. His narrow, crimson pupils darted left and right as he adjusted his iconic diamond patterned sweater. Curious ears twitched as he eyed the seat from across me. It was clear where he wanted to sit.

"Hello again, Alice!" The blue cat smiled as he propped himself on the fabric covered seat. "I knew you'd be back. Moving again?"

"Yeah," I looked down at the seat, the fabric once again becoming my focus of attention. "I'm still waiting."

Rover slanted his eyebrows upward and a frown began to form on his face. He was going to do it again. Every time I did something like this, he always tried to talk me out of the cycle.

"Don't you think enough is enough?" Rover knitted his paws together. Was that even possible?

"I'll do it over and over if it means she'll be there," I leaned forward to show the blue cat my serious (or as serious as I could look) face. "She has the answers I need."

I sat back with a satisfied look pasted on my face as Rover merely sighed and shrugged, clearly falling out of routine. We sat like that for a bit. The fabric was very absorbing to both of us now.

"We're nearing your stop." Rover awkwardly broke the silence. Sure enough, he was right. I stared out the window and saw a faint green light in the distance, a sign a town was near. The train began to decelerate the usual rhythm of bumps, and the loudspeaker rang out it's annoying tune. I stood up from the seat and gave Rover one disdainful last look as I swung my bag on to my shoulder.

"WELCOME TO: LOPWOOD!" The sign above the door flashed red as the train slowed to a halt. "PLEASE DON'T FORGET YOUR BAGGAGE! HAVE A GOOD DAY."

My physical baggage was small. My mental baggage was huge. I gripped the railing near the door as they slowly slide open, and stepped off, letting the fresh air engulf my being.

 _I am lonely, pathetic, and I hold on to things for too long. But I will meet you again some day. And when that day comes..._

* * *

 **wheee an animal crossing fanfiction**

 **Anyway, hello! This isn't my first fanfiction on this site, but this is my first fanfiction in this fanbase! When I play Animal Crossing, sometimes I like to get ideas of my villager's backstories. Where did they come from? Why did they move? Basically, this is one of the plot bunnies I get. I hope you enjoy what I have to tell!**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Meeting

I stepped into the new air, noting the extra fragrance in the wind. I looked around, making sense of the different station. Three yellow chairs lined up in a straight line near the west stone wall, creating a sense of uniformity. Lockers stood proudly next to a wooden board with a timetable pasted on. The cemented floor made my footsteps loud and sharp, each step echoing through the building. The monkey standing near the gates bowed, the golden badge on his blue fez proudly reflecting metallic hues from its smooth surface. His curved tail busily swooshed side to side as he checked another passenger's Town Pass Card. The monkey gave a firm nod and a wave before turning to me.

"Hello!" he bellowed. His voice carried a hint of pride and seriousness, a common feature for a monkey. "I'm going to need your TPC!" The primate let out a few monkey calls, as if to confirm he were in fact, a monkey. I quickly handed him my card and let him check it thoroughly.

"Mm hm! All done!" He grinned, his wide mouth stretching further. "And don't worry about showing your TPC when you want to make a trip, I'll definitely remember that face. I mean, just look at that nose!" The monkey laughed heartily at my growing concern for the shape of my nose. It's not that bad, right? The primate waved me off, his eyes still in tears from the hilarity of my face. I gingerly felt the bridge of my nose as I walked off, uncertain of whether or not the villagers in this town would judge me as well.

"Don't forget to visit the Town hall!" The conductor called after me, once again doing his signature primate call. Swinging the knapsack on to my front, I unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a worn, yellow hued map. Despite the similar characteristics to a treasure map, it was far from it. Despite my utmost caution with the map, the ink had begun to fade, possibly hindering my experience in Lopwood. I quickly consulted the simple key on the right for a brown square-like shape, otherwise known as a Town Hall. There it was! I noted the Town Hall's location in the bottom left corner before heading in the general direction.

* * *

It seemed that the Town hall was still open, if the bright lights weren't enough to give it away. A passionate argument between a male and a female could be heard indoors. Neither party seemed to have no intention of backing down; the male fired a snappy retort, and the female defended her own statement with a fact. I let out a puff of air, the heated debate seemingly draining the energy out of me as well. I, for one, could never hold my own in an argument. In the midst of battle, I would cower from my opponent and immediately apologize, hoping that they would forgive me. They usually did. At least, Lolly did, anyway.

My eyes fluttered shut as I started to reminisce about past times and fond memories I had experienced. A very particular one, in fact.

...

 _"Look!" I gasped and pointed at the view that lay before us. "It's so beautiful!"_

 _And indeed it was. Clear blue skies spread themselves as far as the eyes could see, so clear it seemed as if one had painted it. Green carpets rolled across the plains, while the leaves above whispered secrets among themselves. Lolly and I propped ourselves up on the large trunk, too awestruck to speak. I opened our picnic basket, revealing a plethora of treats before us. Everything seemed to be intact, except..._

 _"...did you forget something?" Lolly questioned as she bent her head sideways. I avoided her gaze, and started picking at the small blue daisies that dotted themselves under the shade of the tree. Maybe I could show her the flowers, and she could immediately forget my blunder._

 _"We're not just going to sit on the grass, are we?" Lolly pressed. Ah, yes. The blanket._

 _"Well," I began nervously, "I didn't bring it on purpose! I didn't bring it so we could connect with the nature around us!"_

 _Lolly seemed to accept that half-hearted excuse. I guess I had won that time._

 _The food we had packed for the day had not spoiled one bit from the time we had made it. Golden glossed honey apple pastries cuddled each other in a cardboard box on one side, while dandelion oatmeal cookies piled up on the other, each adorned lovingly with a dot of vanilla icing and a sugared pansy. An assortment of candied citric peels glittered as Lolly helped herself to one, the tiny sugar crystals sticking to her fur as she did._

 _"...did you forget to pack the insulated bottle?" Lolly suddenly inquired, her candied peel held mid-air._

 _"No...?" I responded. As a matter of fact, I had._

 _"How are we going to make the dandelion tea?!" she cried out and threw her hands into the air._ _"I've been spending so long trying to perfect this skill!"_

 _"I didn't forget it," I ran my hand up and down the back of my head, unsure of what lies to tell her. "I...it... ran away!"_

 _Oh, good one. I mentally kicked myself and reminded my ten year old brain not do use that excuse ever again._

 _"How can a bottle move so quickly anyway?" Lolly relentlessly pushed on. "How fast did it run? Did it run at all?"_

 _I began to crack under the pressure, my lies becoming a trap of evidence. Was it better to confess to the crime? It probably was. I took a deep breath before continuing. Lolly could be scary when things got serious_ _—_ _maybe this was one of her serious times?_

 _"I'm sorry! I forgot the thermal bottle," I began. "It just slipped my mind, and I'm really sorry you got excited today, all for nothing."_

 _A long, thick pause hung indecisively in the air as the words left my lips. Would she accept it? I fiddled with the key chain attached to the wicker basket, the string becoming frayed with my movements._

 _Lolly sighed and shook her head, a smile hidden under her tilted head. "I'll forgive you. We can always come back next time, right? This mountain isn't going to run away like how my insulated bottle did!"_

Oh, how unfaithful that apology was.

* * *

"OH, MY GOSH," a male screamed, waking me up rather unpleasantly. "Wh-who's..."

My head swirled around uneasily, miscellaneous thoughts floating and bumping into each other like a malfunctioning merry-go-round. Who would be so rude to awake me from my deep slumber? I glanced upwards, my eyes squinting as it met the bright, glaring sun- Sun? Was I outside?

Right on cue, the autumn breeze swept through the air, cold and harsh. The golden-brown hues beneath me crinkled to greet the new day. The nearby cosmoses tilted their heads towards the daylight, welcoming the beams of radiance with gratitude. The trees were beginning to show their bare limbs, each leaf that fell revealing the wrinkles underneath.

"DID YOU SLEEP OUTSIDE FOR THE ENTIRE NIGHT?" he exclaimed. As he did, he threw his hands up, his files scattering everywhere. He immediately bent over and began to pick up his documents, hoping the dirt hadn't started to soak in to the paper. I instinctively started helping him, and at the same time, began to observe this new character.

His light, hazel hair flicked up at unexpected angles, possibly due to his all-nighter at the Town Hall. Murky green eyes darted frantically as he picked up sheets and clips off the autumn ground. His attire was no where near office-like. He sported a black t-shirt that was rimmed around the edges with red. A large, white printed logo spelt out the words "NTDO" with unintelligible symbols were printed below it. For his lower body, he donned a pair of brown dogtooth pants that ended around his white basketball shoes.

At last, after a good five minutes of panicking, we had finally gathered all the documents. His eyes had turned into a more grassy green, and his face seemed fresher. Not that it made him "fresher," his actions still seemed rather groggy. He bowed a little to thank me, and was just about to say his welcomes, when-

"What's the matter?" A yellow dog ran out, her expression just as panicky as ours were before. The fur that lined her face was a pastel-yellow, with white defining her facial features. Now, her attire was much more office-y. She wore a cute, yellow button up and matched it with a black pencil skirt. The long tufts of fur on her head were bound back by a bell collar, a creative aspect of her outfit. Her eyes paced around as she surveyed the situation, and it was only after an awkward amount of silence before she began to talk.

"Oh," she beamed, as her gaze fell on me, "you must be the new resident! Welcome to Lopwood!"

"What even took you so long to come out? It's been, like, five minutes already." The male furrowed his eyebrows, as if he were thinking deeply about the reasons why.

"I just wanted to finish the paperwork you left!" The dog pouted and folded her arms.

The male exhaled, and then turned to me. "Anyway, welcome to Lopwood. I'm Basil Chandler, the mayor. She's my secretary, Isabelle. You are...?"

"Alice Keene," I extended a hand towards Basil, and he shook it gingerly. "Nice to meet you."

"Ah, Alice," Isabelle piped up, her smile once again turning in beams of sunshine. "you'll need a place to stay, and it's recommended you say hello to all of the villagers here, and it'd be best if you-"

Basil nudged Isabelle playfully towards the Town Hall before she could finish her suggestions. "Don't worry about all of that. You can do things at your own pace, but it's really recommended you set a plot for your house first." Basil suppressed a rising giggle from his sarcasm and pushed it down to a cough before continuing.

"Anyway, Nook's Homes is way up north of here on Main Street," He pointed in the general direction of the train station, "after that, you should turn left."

I nodded, and waved the two office-workers off. They walked off, one into the Town Hall and the other to wherever he need to go. I kept looking back until I could no longer see my new friends. Until I was alone again. I took out an envelope from the front pocket of my knapsack, and opened it with caution. The words were scrawled on messily, yet still distinguishable. My eyes ran over the writing once again.

 _My new life begins here. Wish you were here to enjoy it with me!_

 _-Lolly_

A bittersweet smile stretched itself across my face. _Same here, Lolly._


	3. Chapter 3 - The Dream

_"I hate you!" Lolly screamed as she furiously wiped the tears beginning to form. "I hate you, I hate you, I absolutely hate you!"_

 _My sister could only endure the verbal beatings in shame. I hung my head, my eyes beginning to sting at the edges. Were they tears of anger or sadness or both? Tears were strange sometimes. The feeling of dread began to settle in my stomach, and my head began to grow light. It hurt so much inside. Or was that because my nails were digging into my palms? I looked up to my sister, hoping to find some sliver of comfort left in her eyes. But all I saw was agony._

 _"Why did you ignore me for so long? Why do I even matter to you anymore?"_

 _White-faced and defaced. We were all just children in the end. My vision focused and blurred, and the grey fog of anger began to grow thick. My arms were leaden with exhaustion—yet my legs were pumped with adrenaline. Ready to bolt._

 _"Why would you leave me? Just as I was about to-"_

 _My sister put a finger to her lips, shook her head and gestured towards me. To this day, I had no idea what she meant by those movements. But the gesture made Lolly stop herself from saying anymore for the time being._

 _More assaults soon started again after the silence. Then I was falling, falling, falling..._

* * *

Thump! The ground vibrated with impact. _Who did that?_ I wondered. _Oh, it was me._

I picked myself off the tent's floor and wiped at cold sweat. _Just a dream,_ I told myself, _just a dream._ I smoothed out my clothes, reminding myself to buy a new nightgown as soon as possible. Thoughts raced through my mind and ran laps around tracks. _Was Lolly in this town? If she wasn't, where would I go to next?_ I dragged myself to the base of my bed and stared groggily at the sheets.

Too lazy to do an adequate job of housekeeping, I piled the blankets up on my wooden bed of blue. Besides, I didn't even live in a house right now. Tom Nook had to pitch up a makeshift tent for me instead. Said he couldn't start building until I paid my starting loan of ten thousand bells. It hadn't been even a day before I had been put into a loan. Yikes. Guess it would be best to start working on it.

My arms shook a little as I unzipped the opening to the tent. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do straight after waking up. A second regret fazed through me as the bright, persistent lights of the flaming ball in the sky assaulted me. Otherwise known as the sun. My hands instinctively shot up to my eyes. Damn, everything just seemed to be so _damn_ annoying. Birds screamed to their loved ones, some annoying mole cricket was screeching _somewhere_ under the dirt, and what the hell was that irritating beeping noise? I turned to face the source. Ah, my mailbox.

I reached inside to find an envelope lined with blue, my fingers trembling in the cold as they opened the flap. _Was it from Lolly?_ I thought, as my heart pounded in my throat.

An unfamiliar scrawl greeted me instead. A growl of disapproval left my lips in turn.

 _Hello, stranger!_

 _Please join us at 11:00am for your welcoming tea party._

 _You'll find us at Bluebear's awesome home! Look! It's already marked on your map! Isn't that exciting?_

 _-See ya there! ~Bluebear_

Quite the eccentric letter indeed. It wasn't everyday you walked into a town and they threw a welcoming party on the second day. It seemed dumb. I scoffed and threw the envelope away as I needed space in my pockets for other things. Like fossils.

I began my hunt after a hearty meal of round mushroom and apple, the town's native fruit. I pulled my trusty shovel out of my pocket and set to looking for any suspicious starfishes in the dirt. I mean, that loan wouldn't pay itself off, right?

But no matter how hard I looked, there was no crack. Or lump. Or any sort of indication that there was something buried underneath the surface. I had nearly scoured the entire town and yet I had found nothing. At. All. Dejected, I quietly started my trip back home, my legs dragging across the dirt paths and flowers and flowers and flowe-

"HEY!" A roar shook the air. The door slammed open with a deafening "BOOM!" and out stomped a tall, blue bear. His eyebrows were crossed so much they looked like they were going to eat each other. What got him so angry?

"Hello," I said stupidly, wondering whether running or standing my ground was better. "the sky's great today, isn't it?"

"Keep your eyes on the ground, kid." he growled, the last word dripping with vemon. He then pointed to my feet. They were covered in orange, ground-up petals from the hike I had taken on them. I stepped carefully out of the garden, profusely apologized and ran as fast as I could. If looks could kill, I'd be dead. The feeling of being stared down stayed with me the entire trip.

* * *

I crunched the apple quickly, hoping the action would distract me from any further thought of the large bear. I had seen other animals that were as grouchy as him before, however I had never done anything to enrage them. Once, I had lived in a town with more grouchy animals than usual. I had to make sure to watch my every action, or I would surely not have lived up until now. The apple crunched louder, and the birds that had settled in front of me flew away, their songs fluttering in the breeze.

"By the looks of your face, it looks like you just met Curt!"

I whirled around, and another blue bear greeted me. However the similarities ended there. This blue bear was all smiles, and was shorter in stature. A natural pink blush dusted her cheeks, and it seemed like she had...hair? Yes, dark blue strands of hair topped her head and extended towards her cub-like ears. She beamed, and for a second, she almost seemed to glow.

"I'm Bluebear by the way," she said, "did you get my letter?"

Oh, yeah. The letter. That I threw away.

"Yeah," I lied, "...tea party at ten, ri-ght?" I raised the tone of the last word, trying to make it sound like I was engaged with the topic at hand.

"Close! But it's at eleven," Bluebear corrected, "that's in...one hour! I'll definitely see you there! " She gave me a friendly wave and began to skip off into the other direction. My first acquaintance in this town. I had the advantage, I could ask questions...

"Wait!" I called out, and the blue silhouette turned around.

"What happened to all of the fossils?" I questioned. After all, I needed those bells. Fossils were a good place to start. The autumn wind whistled as silence settled over the woods, and the orange seemed to blur as Bluebear said those horrifying words.

"I dug them all up and donated them to the museum, of course!"

My wallet was as empty as the hope that had plagued my mind before.

* * *

 **i guess this is a filler? there's going to be a nice tea party next, and we're going to meet someone very special!**

 **thank you so much for the positive reviews! i hope to improve my writing so you can all enjoy it more!**

 **see you next time!**


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